Sheikh Ali Salman, Secretary-General of the now-outlawed Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, enters on Dec 28th his 7th year in Bahrain’s notorious.
Sheikh Salman was sentenced to 4 years in 2014, after an unfair trial, on charges related to his freedom of expression and his commitment to peaceful protests and putting an end to the ongoing human rights violation.
The Bahraini High Court of First Tier acquitted Sheikh Salman; however, the Court of Appeal found him guilty of spying for Qatar and handed him a life sentence, in 2017.
Following the dispute with Qatar, Sheikh Salman’s trial shifted to an intelligence-sharing case, relating to his recorded telephone conversations with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The conversations were made in 2011, i.e. they date back to seven years and were smeared by the Bahraini government to prolong the imprisonment of Sheikh Salman merely because he long called for democratic reforms including a constitutional monarchy and elected prime minister.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt accused Qatar of ”supporting terrorist groups and of being too close to Iran” allegations Qatar has vigorously denied.
Bahrain’s pro-democracy uprising had erupted in February 2011and was suppressed by Saudi troops. Ever since the tiny island has been wracked by unrest as the government outlawed opposition groups and detained scores of dissents.
Bahrain’s key allies, the US and the UK have blatantly failed to speak out about the deteriorating human rights situation, ongoing crackdown on prisoners of conscience and the politically motivated conviction and imprisonment of the opposition leaders.
